Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Soup

5 from 2 votes

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This Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Soup is a hearty and satisfying soup! Full of vegetables, shredded chicken, cannellini beans, pesto and topped off with parmesan cheese! A cozy comfort food dinner for cold nights.

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Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Soup

This recipe and photos have been updated from the original post on 11/2/2015

Do you ever have those days or nights where you’re so cold and can’t warm up no matter how many sweaters you have on? Aside from sitting right next too the fireplace, the only thing that seems to warm me up is to eat or drink something hot. 

Soup is my meal of choice on days like this. One of my favorites to make is this pesto chicken and vegetable soup. Unlike some soups it’s a meal on it’s own. You don’t need a salad or piece of protein to go along with it. 

Between the protein in the chicken breasts and plenty of fiber in the veggies and beans, this is a soup that will stick with you. It’s also a great soup to make if you have vegetables that need to be used or a rotisserie chicken you’re not sure what to do with.

Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients Needed to Make Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Soup 

  • butternut squash
  • carrots
  • yellow onion
  • garlic
  • green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • kale
  • Italian seasoning and dried oregano
  • diced tomatoes
  • cannellini beans
  • low sodium chicken broth
  • pesto
  • cooked chicken breasts or chicken thighs
  • Parmesan cheese and rind
Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Soup

How to Make the Soup

This is an easy one pot soup that doesn’t take a lot of time to make. The majority of the time will be spent chopping the vegetables, which I have time saving tips to help with this listed below.

Prep all of the vegetable and shred the chicken. Once that’s done heat some olive oil in a large pot. Add in the onion, butternut squash and carrots and sauté them for about 4 minutes. Next, add in the garlic, green beans and spices and sauté for several more minutes.

Stir in the kale until it starts to wilt and then pour in the diced tomatoes, beans, chicken, pesto, Parmesan cheese rind and chicken broth. Stir everything together and bring the soup to a boil.

Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat and simmer it with the lid partially on for 15-20 minutes. Top the soup with shredded Parmesan cheese and an extra dollop of pesto before serving. The soup is great on it’s own or with a slice of warm crusty bread. 

Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Time Saving Tips

  • Buy pre-cut butternut squash. It is more expensive, but also a huge time saver. 
  • Use rotisserie chicken (skin off) or leftover cooked chicken breasts. 
  • Use prepared pesto from the grocery store. This Blue Moose of Boulder basil pesto is one of my favorites when I don’t make homemade.
  • Chop all of the vegetables a day or two in advance to save on time the day you plan to make the soup.
Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Soup Freeze Well?

Yes! If you plan to freeze the soup, cool it completely before doing so. Once it’s cool put it in a freezer safe container or freezer bag with the air pressed out. The soup will keep for several months in the freezer. 

When you’re ready to use the soup, let it defrost in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Pour it into a saucepan or pot and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer for a few minutes and it’s ready to serve. If the soup looks dry add in an extra 1/2 cup to cup of chicken broth.  

Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Other Vegetables That Work Well in This Soup

If you don’t have or don’t like one of the vegetable in this soup, here are some alternatives that will work well.

  • celery
  • spinach or chard
  • any type of winter squash,
  • zucchini or summer squash. These will need less time to cook so add them after all the other heartier vegetables. 
  • potatoes or sweet potatoes

How Long Will the Soup Keep in the Refrigerator?

The soup can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you don’t plan to eat it all by then I recommend freezing a portion the day you make it.

Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Soup
5 from 2 votes

Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 6 -8 servings
This Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Soup is a hearty and satisfying soup! Full of vegetables, shredded chicken, cannellini beans, pesto and topped off with parmesan cheese!
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Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups cubed butternut squash, cut into approximately 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup diced carrots
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
  • 1 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 cups chopped kale, stems removed
  • 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 15 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained
  • Parmesan cheese rind, optional
  • 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons pesto
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese and extra pesto for topping the soup

Instructions 

  • In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add in the butternut squash and carrots and cook for 3 minutes. Add in the onion, garlic, green beans, Italian seasoning, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add in the kale and cook until it starts to wilt. Add in the diced tomatoes, beans, Parmesan cheese rind, shredded chicken, chicken broth, and pesto and stir everything together. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
  • Taste for seasoning then serve the soup topped with shredded parmesan cheese and a dollop of pesto if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 26gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 491mgFiber: 11gSugar: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this? Leave a comment below!

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16 Comments

  1. Profi says:

    Full and delicious looking soup!

    1. Danae says:

      Thank you!

  2. Elio says:

    Hi Danae, the soup came out really well! I used chicken thighs to save time and skipped the pasta. With winter coming round I would make this regularly! Thanks a lot for sharing this recipe. :)

    1. Danae says:

      Thanks for trying out the recipe, I’m glad you liked it!

  3. Taylor@Food Faith Fitness says:

    This looks amazing!! Can’t wait to try it!

    1. Danae says:

      Thanks Taylor!

  4. Julia says:

    This is my kind of fall soup. I love the idea of adding pesto into a chicken and vegetable soup. I bet it adds a ton of flavor!

    1. Danae says:

      The pesto made it extra special and full of flavor Julia! I know I’ll be making it again soon. :-)

  5. Catherine says:

    Dear Danae, what a comforting soup…This sounds wonderful. Anything with pesto is right up my alley..love all the flavors! xo, Catherine

    1. Danae says:

      Thanks Catherine!

  6. Marye says:

    Oh yummy! This soup looks amazing!

    1. Danae says:

      Thanks Marye!

  7. Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says:

    This soup looks so comforting! Great for all of the cold weather coming!

    1. Danae says:

      It’s super comforting! I can’t wait to make it again!

  8. David @ CookingChat says:

    This soup looks so substantial, and must be great with the pesto added.

    1. Danae says:

      The pesto adds great flavor David!